Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/77485
Title: An inquiry into Heidegger's phenomenology and its influence on post-modern thought
Authors: Formosa, Aaron (2005)
Keywords: Heidegger, Martin, 1889-1976 -- Criticism and interpretation
Phenomenology
Philosophy, Modern -- 20th century
Ontology
Issue Date: 2005
Citation: Formosa, A. (2005). An inquiry into Heidegger's phenomenology and its influence on post-modern thought (Master’s dissertation).
Abstract: My dissertation "An Inquiry into Heidegger's Phenomenology and its Influence on Post-modern Thought", deals with the philosophy of one of the most important philosophers of the 20th Century, Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) and with the influence that such a philosophy exerted upon other notable thinkers. In Chapter 1, I shall be making the reader familiar with the main problem that will preoccupy Heidegger all throughout his philosophical career: that of Being. I shall be describing how · this concern with the question of Being germinated in the young Heidegger; his encounter with the famous philosopher Husserl and how Heidegger became inspired by his philosophical method. This method, which is the so called phenomenological method, was utilized by Heidegger in order to tackle the problem of Being. Heidegger's first main work, Being and Time, is discussed in the second chapter. Through Being and Time, Heidegger planned to arrive at Being via a phenomenological analysis of the Being of the human being (Dasein) - but, in fact, he never went further than the human being and the question of Being remained not tackled. This compendium of thought turned out, however, to be an awesome illustration of human existence and of its fundamental aspects. We shall be discussing the important features of human Being-in-the-world. For Heidegger, to be in a world is not to exist in an "inner" self detached from the environment but to live as engaged in and with it. We shall be seeing how Heidegger attacks the Cartesian dichotomy of mind versus world. Other important dimensions of the living Dasein to be investigated are Being-with-others, authenticity, thrownness, moods and Being-towards-death. In Chapter 3, we shall be considering Heidegger's influence upon 'existentialism', a philosophical movement or "trend" which, though no longer in fashion, constitutes a significant movement in 20th Century philosophy. What Heidegger said in Being and Time about human existence exercised a tremendous influence on thinkers like Sartre, Merleau-Ponty and others. Chapter 4 gives an account of Heidegger' s thought as it developed in his "later" writings. During this "second" phase Heidegger moves from a phenomenology of human existence to a phenomenology of art and language. Heidegger starts to see art-works and language as possible ways to show us Being. In this chapter we shall also focus on Heidegger's preoccupation with technology and how, according to him, it is destroying nature and the dignity of man. Heidegger finishes his "way of thought" contemplating the ineffability of the mystery of Being. The fifth chapter examines the impact of Heidegger upon two significant post-modern thinkers, Foucault and Rorty. Though Heidegger is seldom mentioned in many of Foucault's texts, Foucault owes much to Heidegger. It is through Heidegger that Foucault becomes the more aware of the essential historicity of the human being and of how the human being is fundamentally shaped by socio-historical horizons. With regards to Rorty, we shall be seeing how his rejection of the traditional theory of knowledge echoes deeply Heidegger's critique of the Cartesian epistemological dualism. In Chapter 6 we shall be analyzing Heidegger' s influence upon another branch of study outside the confines of philosophy. In fact we shall be seeing how prominent theologians like Rahner, Bultmann and some post-Bultmannians adopt many of Heidegger's views to explain religious experience. I decided to write my dissertation on Heidegger because his philosophy constitutes an important horizon against which many of the most contemporary thinkers' thought has developed. One understands much better thinkers like Levinas, Derrida, Rorty and many others if one knows Heidegger. Many of these thinkers are mentioned in Chapter 7, which is effectively the conclusion. The following words uttered by Bernard Welte at Heidegger's funeral will alone suffice to show Heidegger's importance in the history of recent philosophy: He once came forth from this homeland, this earth of Messkirch. Since then his thought has shaken the world and the century. And he has brought new light, new questions, new meanings to bear on the whole of Western history. After Heidegger we look back on our history differently than we did before. And don't we also look differently into the future?
Description: M.PHIL.
URI: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/77485
Appears in Collections:Dissertations - FacArt - 1999-2010
Dissertations - FacArtPhi - 1968-2013

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